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Blood-thinning pills could slow down Alzheimer's disease by improving blood flow to the brain, new research suggests.
The tablets are regularly prescribed to more than 1.6million patients in the UK who suffer from atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder.
The condition is significantly more common in older people and those who are either at-risk of dementia or already have the memory-robbing disease.
Now Swedish researchers have concluded that blood-thinning drugs may help slow down cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients by improving blood flow to the brain.
However, they stopped short of recommending the pills for those who do not have atrial fibrillation. The benefits were also only seen in those on newer types of blood-thinners.
Experts believe the findings could be significant for the roughly one million people in the UK who are currently living with dementia – of which Alzheimer's is the most common type. That figure is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
Writing in the European Heart Journal, study lead author Dr Maria Eriksdotter, said: 'There are reasons to believe that the treatment could have a positive effect on cognition, by improving blood flow and reducing small-scale damage in the brain.'
The new study – led by experts at Karolinska University Hospital – analysed data from 7,308 people with atrial fibrillation and Alzheimer's, from the Swedish Register for Cognitive Disorders.
Newer anticoagulants could help slow down Alzheimer's progression by improving blood flow to the brain
Participants were divided based on their use of blood-thinning medication: those on newer anticoagulants (such as rivaroxaban), those taking warfarin – an older version of the drug – and those not taking any anticoagulants.
The researchers monitored their brain health using a test that assessed patients' memory, language and motor skills.
Results showed that those taking newer anticoagulants experienced a slower decline in cognitive function, compared to those receiving warfarin or no anticoagulant treatment.
Experts admit that the difference was slight. Those on newer drugs, on average, scored just under 1 per cent higher on the memory test after a year.
But they argue that, over time, this difference would become more significant.
'While the difference is modest for an individual patient from one year to the next, over a longer period even such an effect could influence how cognitive function develops,' Professor Nanbo Zhu, the study's co-author, said.
Patients treated with the newer blood-thinning drugs – which are gradually replacing warfarin – were also found to have a lower risk of premature death, stroke and fractures than those who did not receive anticoagulant treatment.
Warfarin was also associated with a lower risk of death, stroke and blood clots, compared to those not on treatment, but with a higher risk of major bleeding.
However, more studies need to be done before prescribing anticoagulants based on their anticipated benefits, the researchers warned.
Atrial fibrillation, where faulty electrical signals affect the rhythm of the heart, is thought to be linked to high blood pressure, according to studies.
It is also more common in those aged over 55, men, those with obesity, and smokers.
In turn, the condition is thought to raise the risk of dementia by as much as a third.
The new study comes after scientists from NYU Langone Health claimed that three health measures in middle age can help ward off dementia for more than a decade.
Having normal blood pressure, being free from diabetes and not smoking between the ages of 45 and 65 were linked with around 13 additional years of dementia-free life.
'Our findings argue that people need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade,' Dr Josef Coresh, the study's lead author, said.
'Hopefully, these results will encourage people to stop smoking and watch their vascular health closely from age 45 on.'